When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Fewer than a quarter of people in North East Lincolnshire invited for potentially life-saving check-ups to prevent serious health problems are going - and the proportion not turning up is increasing.

The proportion of people who went to their NHS Health Check last year was the lowest since records began in 2013/14, according to figures published by the Public Health England (PHE).

In 2013/14, the percentage of people taking up an invite for an NHS Health Check was 52%, but after four years of fluctuations, it has dropped to 22% in 2018/19.

The NHS Health Check is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions, will be invited once every five years to have a check to assess their risks.

They will also be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.

The NHS says a high take up is important to identify and treat early signs of poor health before they do real damage - the original aim was for 75% of those invited to attend.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Regular health checks are important. Not only can they help to spot early signs of a serious health problem, but it is also important to take the time to talk about any risk factors and ways to improve your health.

“Everyone eligible should receive a direct invitation, check with your GP if you haven’t.”

Caroline Abrahams - Charity Director at Age UK (Image: Handout)

In England, the percentage of people turning up for health checks is at its lowest since 2013/14.

In 2013/14, the proportion was 49% and went up to 50% in 2016/17, before going down to 46% in 2018/19.

Overall, 17.6% of eligible people were invited to NHS health checks last year.

Although this proportion has slightly increased compared to 17.3% in 2017/18 and 17.0% in 2016/17, it is still below the target of around 20%. Originally, the Department for Health and Social Care envisaged that all 15m eligible patients would be invited for an NHS health check and that 75% would attend, and the scheme was funded on this basis.

Everyday tasks like tying up shoelaces can be harder for someone with dementia (Image: Getty)

A systematic review published in the British Journal of General Practice last year found: “When judged against the (ambitious) objective of inviting all eligible individuals in each five-year cycle, and the expected aggregate gains in population health arising from high coverage (expected in the model to be 75%), the evidence shows the programme has fallen considerably short.”

However, attendance of health checks was to lead to small increases in disease diagnosis, decreases in cardiovascular disease and increased prescribing of blood pressure and cholesterol lowering medication.

It's important to know when to see your doctor, attendance of health checks help to diagnose a variety of conditions which you may not be aware of. (Image: Getty)

Commenting on the review when it was released, General Practitioners Committee chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: “These findings echo what we repeatedly said at the time the NHS health check was introduced.

"Most people don't want or need a health check so the uptake is in line with what would be expected. It would be far better to target this important but limited resource to a greater extent than is currently the case.”

Follow us on Instagram - On the Grimsby Live Instagram page we like to feature great pictures from our area - and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! Click here to follow Grimsby Live on Instagram .